Induction furnaces of less than five ton capacity have in the past been sold with their power supplies in a heavy gauge cubicle and the furnace separate therefrom. It has been up to the customer to install and provide platforms and supports for the furnaces and power supply cubicles. In cases where the furnaces and the power supplies have been packaged together, the packaging has been done in such a way that many of the furnace components are located in structures that protrude above the deck working area. Attempts to locate some of the components below a prepackaged deck have necessitated removal of deck plates to work directly underfoot to do maintenance on the equipment.
There is a need for a packaging system that incorporates an open deck area where only the necessary operating controls protrude above the deck area and the remaining furnace components are under the deck area, but arranged so that access for maintenance purposes is from the side rather than directly underfoot. There is also a need for a packaging system to accomodate a furnace of the type having a push-out lining which can be removed and discarded when worn out.
The present invention fulfills these needs.